lucas



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(N6 Model.

A. H. LUCAS. GUT-OUT FOR ARC LAMPS.

Patented, July 28, 1896.

INVENTOR,

1: Nonms mans co. morau'moq WASHINGTON. u. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

A. H. LUCAS. OUT-OUT FOR ARC LAMPS.-

- No 564,757. Patented'July 28, 1896.

THE nomns Pans co.. PHOYO-UYHQ. wnsmnmom as.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUSTIN H. LUCAS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOGEORGE P. SHANE, OF SAME PLACE.

CUT-OUT FOR ARC-LAM PS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 564,757, dated July 28,1896.

Application filed April 4, 1896. Serial N6. 586,163. (N6 model.)

T0 aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUsTIN H. LUCAS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented or discovered certain new and usefulImprovements in Out- Outs for Arc-Lamps, of which improvements thefollowing is a specification.

The invention described herein relates to certain improvements incircuit-changers for arc-lamps. As lamps of this class or kind arearranged in series in a circuit, it is necessary, when it is desired tocut out a lamp when the current is on, to provide a shunt-circuit, whichshould be closed before the circuit through the lamp is broken.

The object of the present invention is to provide means, automaticallyoperative when the lamp is lowered, to close the shunt-circuit and openthe circuit through the lamp.

In general terms the invention consists in the construction andcombination substantially as hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an arc-lamp supported on amast-arm, the lamp being in operative position and the circuit completedthrough the lamp. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the lamp lowered andthe circuit completed through the shunt. Fig. 3 is a sectional planview, and Fig. 4 is a plan view illustrating a modified form ofshunt-ring.

In the preferred form of my invention an annular band 1, formed ofinsulating material, is secured to an insulating block or disk 2, whichis adapted to be attached to a mast or arm or other lamp-support. Acontact plate or strip 3, preferably ring-shaped and formed of metal andhaving its sides inclined toward each other, is secured to the loweredge of the band 1. Flat metal rings orconductor-terminals 4 and 5 arearranged, respectively, inside and outside of the band, and theconductors 6 and 7 are connected to these metal rings in such manner asto perrnit them to rise and fall freely, as hereinafter described. Twometal sleeves or lampterminals 8 and 9 are attached to but insulatedfrom the top plate 10 of the lamp, un-

less the plate is formed of insulating material. These sleeves are madeof such a diameter and so attached to the lamp-plate that they will passone inside and the other outside of the ring 3 without both coming intocontact therewith at the same time. One of these sleeves is connected toone of the carbon pencils and the other to the other pencil.

When the lamp is raised, as shown in Fig. 1, the rings 4 and 5 rest uponthe sleeves 8 and 9, respectively, the circuit being then completed fromone of the rings 4, through the sleeve 8, the carbon pencils, the sleeve9, to the ring 5. As the lamp is lowered the rings will move down withthe sleeves until the former rest upon the metal ring 3, which will thenform the conductor between the rings 4 and 5, the circuit through thelamp being broken by the continued downward movement of the lamp. Whenthe lamp is raised, the sleeves will be in contact with the rings 4 and5 before the latter can be lifted from the shunt conductor or ring 3.Thus it will be seen that the circuit through the lamp or shunt will becompleted before the other is broken, thus avoiding any interruption ofthe feed-circuit that would affect other lamps thereon.

It is preferred to so connect the feed-conductors to the rings 4 and 5and the carbon pencils to the sleeves as to insure an effective contactbetween the rings and sleeves. This is effected by connecting theconductor in the lamp to points on the sleeves diametrically oppositethe points at which the feedconductors are connected to the rings 4 and5.

In lieu of forming the ring 3 of metal it may be formed of insulatingmaterial and one or more transverse conducting-strips 11,

secured on top of it in such manner that both rings will come in contacttherewith when lowered, as shown in Fig. 4.

I claim herein as my inventiona 1. The combination of a stationary metalstrip, two movable metal rings movable toward and from said strip, andadapted to be connected to the conductors of the feed-circuit, and twometal sleeves adapted to be connected to the carbons of a lamp andarranged to move on opposite sides of the metal strip, and when somoved, to shift the metal rings into and out of contact with the metalstrip substantially as set forth.

The combination of two movable terminals formed of conducting materialand adapted to be connected to the conductors of a feed-circuit, astationary metal contactplate arranged in the path of movement of saidterminals, and two terminals formed of conducting material connected tothe lamp and adapted when the lamp is raised to shift 10 theconductor-terminals from the contactplate, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

AUSTIN ll. LUCAS. \Vitnesses:

DARWIN S. WoLoo'r'r, F. E. GAITHER.

